********
**** ****
** **
* *
* *
* THE GLASS FACTORY. *
* *
* *
** **
**** ****
********
*/-~¨¨¨¨¨¨ SEVERAL CENTURIES AFTER IT HAD LAST ¨¨¨¨¨¨~-/*
§*/-~¨¨¨¨¨ BELONGED TO US, WE WENT ON AN OUTING TO ¨¨¨¨¨~-/*§
#§*/-~¨¨¨¨ THE GLASS FACTORY THAT BORE OUR FAMILY ¨¨¨¨~-/*§#
##§*/-~¨¨¨ NAME. IT HAD CHANGED OWNERS MANY TIMES ¨¨¨~-/*§##
###§*/-~¨¨ SINCE OUR ANCESTORS DEATH, AND THEN ¨¨~-/*§###
####§*/-~¨ STOOD ABANDONED FOR A LONG WHILE. ¨~-/*§####
###§*/-~¨¨ FINALLY, THE NATURAL END STATION FOR ¨¨~-/*§###
##§*/-~¨¨¨ THE BUILDINGS THAT SURVIVE: A MUSEUM, ¨¨¨~-/*§##
#§*/-~¨¨¨¨ AND A GIFT SHOP. ¨¨¨¨~-/*§#
§*/-~¨¨¨¨¨ ¨¨¨¨¨~-/*§
*/-~¨¨¨¨¨¨ THERE'S A LONG TIME SINCE MY FAMILY ¨¨¨¨¨¨~-/*
/-~¨¨¨¨¨¨¨ MADE ANYTHING. BY MANY, WE WOULD BE ¨¨¨¨¨¨¨~-/
-~¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨ CONSIDERED POOR. ¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨~-
/-~¨¨¨¨¨¨¨ ¨¨¨¨¨¨¨~-/
*/-~¨¨¨¨¨¨ THERE ARE TWO MAIN FACTORY BUILDINGS, ¨¨¨¨¨¨~-/*
§*/-~¨¨¨¨¨ DOMED THINGS OF SEVERAL FLOORS, MADE IN ¨¨¨¨¨~-/*§
#§*/-~¨¨¨¨ YELLOW BRICK. LARGE BUT NARROW WINDOWS, ¨¨¨¨~-/*§#
##§*/-~¨¨¨ REMINESCENT OF SOME CATHEDRAL. ¨¨¨~-/*§##
###§*/-~¨¨ CUSTOM-MADE GLASS, OF COURSE, LARGE AND ¨¨~-/*§###
####§*/-~¨ LEADED, AND ASHEN. A BIT TOO DARK TO BE ¨~-/*§####
###§*/-~¨¨ PRACTICAL. ON THE EASTERN BUILDING, ¨¨~-/*§###
##§*/-~¨¨¨ SOME ARE SHATTERED. ¨¨¨~-/*§##
#§*/-~¨¨¨¨ ¨¨¨¨~-/*§#
§*/-~¨¨¨¨¨ THE OTHER ONE IS PUBLICLY OPEN. THERE'S ¨¨¨¨¨~-/*§
*/-~¨¨¨¨¨¨ A MUSEUM, WITH WAX FIGURES OF MY GREAT ¨¨¨¨¨¨~-/*
/-~¨¨¨¨¨¨¨ GREAT GREAT GRANDFATHER, OR SOMETHING. ¨¨¨¨¨¨¨~-/
-~¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨ VARIOUS TOOLS (OR REPLICAS) LAID OUT ON ¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨~-
/-~¨¨¨¨¨¨¨ TABLES, WITH EXPLAINING TEXTS. A LOT OF ¨¨¨¨¨¨¨~-/
*/-~¨¨¨¨¨¨ GLASS OF VARYING THICKNESS. ¨¨¨¨¨¨~-/*
§*/-~¨¨¨¨¨ ¨¨¨¨¨~-/*§
#§*/-~¨¨¨¨ ** ¨¨¨¨~-/*§#
##§*/-~¨¨¨ ** ** ¨¨¨~-/*§##
###§*/-~¨¨ ------- * * ------- ¨¨~-/*§###
####§*/-~¨ ** ** ¨~-/*§####
###§*/-~¨¨ ** ¨¨~-/*§###
##§*/-~¨¨¨ ¨¨¨~-/*§##
#§*/-~¨¨¨¨ I QUICKLY SNEAK OUT, AND CLIMB INTO THE ¨¨¨¨~-/*§#
§*/-~¨¨¨¨¨ OTHER BUILDING. THE CONTRAST IS ¨¨¨¨¨~-/*§
*/-~¨¨¨¨¨¨ OVERWHELMING. IT MUST HAVE STOOD ¨¨¨¨¨¨~-/*
/-~¨¨¨¨¨¨¨ DERELICT FOR A LONG TIME, WINDOWS ¨¨¨¨¨¨¨~-/
-~¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨ BROKEN, METALLIC TRASH AND POOLS OF ¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨~-
/-~¨¨¨¨¨¨¨ DARK GLASS ALL OVER THE FLOOR. NO ¨¨¨¨¨¨¨~-/
*/-~¨¨¨¨¨¨ ELECTRIC LIGHTS, BUT I CAN SEE BY THE ¨¨¨¨¨¨~-/*
§*/-~¨¨¨¨¨ LIGHT THAT SHINES IN WHEREVER THE DARK ¨¨¨¨¨~-/*§
#§*/-~¨¨¨¨ WINDOWS ARE MISSING A PANE. ¨¨¨¨~-/*§#
##§*/-~¨¨¨ ¨¨¨~-/*§##
###§*/-~¨¨ HOWEVER, THE GREATEST DIFFERENCE IS THE ¨¨~-/*§###
####§*/-~¨ HIGHER FLOORS: THIS BUILDING HAS NONE. ¨~-/*§####
###§*/-~¨¨ IT IS ONE MASSIVE HALL, STRETCHING AWAY ¨¨~-/*§###
##§*/-~¨¨¨ INFINITELY ABOVE ME. SOMEWHERE UP THERE ¨¨¨~-/*§##
#§*/-~¨¨¨¨ IS SOME GREAT IRON LATTICEWORK, FROM ¨¨¨¨~-/*§#
§*/-~¨¨¨¨¨ WHERE CHAINS ARE SUSPENDED, AND PARTS ¨¨¨¨¨~-/*§
*/-~¨¨¨¨¨¨ OF MACHINERY HAS BEEN FALLING DOWN. ¨¨¨¨¨¨~-/*
/-~¨¨¨¨¨¨¨ ¨¨¨¨¨¨¨~-/
-~¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨ THERE IS, IN THE MIDDLE OF THE GREAT ¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨~-
/-~¨¨¨¨¨¨¨ HALL, A THIN SPIRAL STAIRCASE THAT ¨¨¨¨¨¨¨~-/
*/-~¨¨¨¨¨¨ LEADS UP THERE. I SNEAK OVER THERE, AND ¨¨¨¨¨¨~-/*
§*/-~¨¨¨¨¨ TAKE A FEW RELUCTANT STEPS. AFTER JUST ¨¨¨¨¨~-/*§
#§*/-~¨¨¨¨ A REVOLUTION, I NOTICE THAT FOR EACH ¨¨¨¨~-/*§#
##§*/-~¨¨¨ STEP THE BUILDING STARTS TO GLOW, THE ¨¨¨~-/*§##
###§*/-~¨¨ BRICKS TURNING A DARK RED, AND THEN ¨¨~-/*§###
####§*/-~¨ ORANGE, ALL THE PILED UP DEBREE BEING ¨~-/*§####
###§*/-~¨¨ LIT FROM BEHIND. ¨¨~-/*§###
##§*/-~¨¨¨ ¨¨¨~-/*§##
#§*/-~¨¨¨¨ I STOP READY TO RUN DOWN AND OUT, BUT ¨¨¨¨~-/*§#
§*/-~¨¨¨¨¨ THERE'S SOMEONE ELSE ON THE STAIRCASE ¨¨¨¨¨~-/*§
*/-~¨¨¨¨¨¨ WITH ME NOW, PRESSED CLOSE. HE'S ¨¨¨¨¨¨~-/*
/-~¨¨¨¨¨¨¨ LOOKING LIKE ME, SHORT HAIR AND THIN ¨¨¨¨¨¨¨~-/
-~¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨ ARMS, BUT WITH EARS FROM SOME ANIMAL, ¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨~-
/-~¨¨¨¨¨¨¨ AND MORE DISTURBINGLY, COMPLETELY MADE ¨¨¨¨¨¨¨~-/
*/-~¨¨¨¨¨¨ OF DARK LIQUID GLASS. ¨¨¨¨¨¨~-/*
§*/-~¨¨¨¨¨ ¨¨¨¨¨~-/*§
#§*/-~¨¨¨¨ ** ¨¨¨¨~-/*§#
##§*/-~¨¨¨ ** ** ¨¨¨~-/*§##
###§*/-~¨¨ ------- * * ------- ¨¨~-/*§###
####§*/-~¨ ** ** ¨~-/*§####
###§*/-~¨¨ ** ¨¨~-/*§###
##§*/-~¨¨¨ ¨¨¨~-/*§##
#§*/-~¨¨¨¨ MY FEAR HOLDS ME IN PLACE WHILE HE ¨¨¨¨~-/*§#
§*/-~¨¨¨¨¨ STARTS OPERATING LEVERS AND DIALS SET ¨¨¨¨¨~-/*§
*/-~¨¨¨¨¨¨ IN THE CENTER OF THE STAIRCASE. SLOWLY, ¨¨¨¨¨¨~-/*
/-~¨¨¨¨¨¨¨ IT STARTS SPINNING, CIRCLING UPWARDS. ¨¨¨¨¨¨¨~-/
-~¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨ IT'S AN ELEVATOR! I START TO RUN ¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨~-
/-~¨¨¨¨¨¨¨ DOWNWARDS, BUT NOW THE LIQUID BOY ¨¨¨¨¨¨¨~-/
*/-~¨¨¨¨¨¨ CREATURE GRABS HOLD OF ME. I TRY TO ¨¨¨¨¨¨~-/*
§*/-~¨¨¨¨¨ SHAKE HIM OFF, BUT HE'S TOO STRONG, AND ¨¨¨¨¨~-/*§
#§*/-~¨¨¨¨ PULLS ME BACK UP BESIDE HIM. ¨¨¨¨~-/*§#
##§*/-~¨¨¨ ¨¨¨~-/*§##
###§*/-~¨¨ THIS TIME, I TURN ANGRY INSTEAD. WHAT ¨¨~-/*§###
####§*/-~¨ THE HELL? WHO IS THIS GUY, ACTING LIKE ¨~-/*§####
###§*/-~¨¨ THIS? I REACH OUT MY FREE ARM AND SLAM ¨¨~-/*§###
##§*/-~¨¨¨ A RANDOM LEVER. SOME METAL BAR IS ¨¨¨~-/*§##
#§*/-~¨¨¨¨ SUDDENLY RELEASED BETWEEN US, HITTING ¨¨¨¨~-/*§#
§*/-~¨¨¨¨¨ HIM ON THE ARM, FORCING MY RELEASE. I ¨¨¨¨¨~-/*§
*/-~¨¨¨¨¨¨ SHOVE HIM OFF OF ME, AND HE FALLS INTO ¨¨¨¨¨¨~-/*
/-~¨¨¨¨¨¨¨ THE LEVERS, MESSING THEM UP. ¨¨¨¨¨¨¨~-/
-~¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨ IMMEDIATELY, A THIN RUSTY CHAINMAIL ¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨~-
/-~¨¨¨¨¨¨¨ CURTAIN IS DROPPED AROUND ME. BUT THE ¨¨¨¨¨¨¨~-/
*/-~¨¨¨¨¨¨ ELEVATOR ALSO SPEEDS UP SIGNIFICANTLY. ¨¨¨¨¨¨~-/*
§*/-~¨¨¨¨¨ ¨¨¨¨¨~-/*§
#§*/-~¨¨¨¨ THE WALLS ARE FLARING NOW, YELLOW, ¨¨¨¨~-/*§#
##§*/-~¨¨¨ WHITE, ALMOST BLUE. I CLOSE MY EYES AND ¨¨¨~-/*§##
###§*/-~¨¨ CURL INTO A BALL. BUT THEN, THE GLASS ¨¨~-/*§###
####§*/-~¨ BOY SCREAMS, A PIERCING SOUND THAT ¨~-/*§####
###§*/-~¨¨ FORCES MY EYES BACK OPEN. I WATCH AS HE ¨¨~-/*§###
##§*/-~¨¨¨ BECOMES TOO LIQUID, HIS BODY POOLING ¨¨¨~-/*§##
#§*/-~¨¨¨¨ DOWN IN HIS NOW MASSIVE TAIL, AND THE ¨¨¨¨~-/*§#
§*/-~¨¨¨¨¨ TIP OF IT SUDDENLY BREAKS OF IN A GLASS ¨¨¨¨¨~-/*§
*/-~¨¨¨¨¨¨ DROP THAT FALLS TOWARD THE FACTORY ¨¨¨¨¨¨~-/*
/-~¨¨¨¨¨¨¨ FLOOR. ¨¨¨¨¨¨¨~-/
-~¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨ ¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨~-
/-~¨¨¨¨¨¨¨ HE'S CRAWLING ON THE STAIRS, UNABLE TO ¨¨¨¨¨¨¨~-/
*/-~¨¨¨¨¨¨ KEEP HIS BODY UPRIGHT. CAN'T REACH THE ¨¨¨¨¨¨~-/*
§*/-~¨¨¨¨¨ LEVERS, CLAWS AT MY CHAINMAIL CAGE, ¨¨¨¨¨~-/*§
#§*/-~¨¨¨¨ WHILE HIS BODY IS TURNING INTO DARK ¨¨¨¨~-/*§#
##§*/-~¨¨¨ PEARLS. FINALLY, HE'S LOST TOO MUCH OF ¨¨¨~-/*§##
###§*/-~¨¨ HIMSELF AND THE SCREAM IS CUT SHORT. ¨¨~-/*§###
####§*/-~¨ THE LAST OF HIM RAINS DOWN. ¨~-/*§####
###§*/-~¨¨ ¨¨~-/*§###
##§*/-~¨¨¨ I STILL CAN'T REACH THE LEVERS FROM ¨¨¨~-/*§##
#§*/-~¨¨¨¨ WITHIN MY CAGE. LOOKING UP, I TRY TO ¨¨¨¨~-/*§#
§*/-~¨¨¨¨¨ MAKE OUT THE CEILING, BUT IT'S ALL A ¨¨¨¨¨~-/*§
*/-~¨¨¨¨¨¨ WHIRLING SEA OF COLOURS. BELOW ME GLOWS ¨¨¨¨¨¨~-/*
/-~¨¨¨¨¨¨¨ THE HELLFIRE OF THE FACTORY WALLS, BUT ¨¨¨¨¨¨¨~-/
-~¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨ VERY FAINT. I SIT DOWN, CURL BACK UP, ¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨~-
/-~¨¨¨¨¨¨¨ BECOME STILL. ¨¨¨¨¨¨¨~-/
*/-~¨¨¨¨¨¨ ¨¨¨¨¨¨~-/*
§*/-~¨¨¨¨¨ ** ¨¨¨¨¨~-/*§
#§*/-~¨¨¨¨ ** ** ¨¨¨¨~-/*§#
##§*/-~¨¨¨ ------- * * ------- ¨¨¨~-/*§##
###§*/-~¨¨ ** ** ¨¨~-/*§###
####§*/-~¨ ** ¨~-/*§####
###§*/-~¨¨ ¨¨~-/*§###
##§*/-~¨¨¨ A LARGE CLUNK SHAKES MY ENTIRE BODY, ¨¨¨~-/*§##
#§*/-~¨¨¨¨ AND SNAPS ME BACK INTO REALITY. I'M ¨¨¨¨~-/*§#
§*/-~¨¨¨¨¨ BACK AT THE FACTORY FLOOR, BUT THE ¨¨¨¨¨~-/*§
*/-~¨¨¨¨¨¨ STAIRS ARE STILL MOVING SLIGHTLY, ¨¨¨¨¨¨~-/*
/-~¨¨¨¨¨¨¨ CLICKING IN PLACE, CARRYING ME THE LAST ¨¨¨¨¨¨¨~-/
-~¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨ FEW CENTIMETERS. I CAME FROM BELOW, ¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨~-
/-~¨¨¨¨¨¨¨ SOMEHOW. THE CHAINMAIL IS RETRACTED, ¨¨¨¨¨¨¨~-/
*/-~¨¨¨¨¨¨ AND I SLOWLY DISMOUNT THE STAIRS. ¨¨¨¨¨¨~-/*
§*/-~¨¨¨¨¨ ¨¨¨¨¨~-/*§
#§*/-~¨¨¨¨ SHAKING AND CRYING, I MAKE MY WAY OVER ¨¨¨¨~-/*§#
##§*/-~¨¨¨ THE FACTORY FLOOR, WADING THROUGH DARK ¨¨¨~-/*§##
###§*/-~¨¨ GLASS MARBLES. A QUICK GLANCE DOWN, AND ¨¨~-/*§###
####§*/-~¨ I SEE THERE'S SOMETHING FAINT INSIDE ¨~-/*§####
###§*/-~¨¨ THEM. EMBRYOS? ARE THESE EGGS? ¨¨~-/*§###
##§*/-~¨¨¨ ¨¨¨~-/*§##
#§*/-~¨¨¨¨ I SHUDDER, AND CLIMB BACK OUT. ¨¨¨¨~-/*§#
**
** **
* *
** **
**